Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of heat exchangers and, more particularly, to a laminated heat exchanger.
Exchanging heat between two fluids is desirable in many applications. Heat exchangers pass a first medium having a first heat energy in proximity to another medium having a second heat energy to facilitate a transfer of the heat energy. More specifically, the mediums are passed in proximity to cause heat from the medium having the higher heat energy to the medium having a lower heat energy. The mediums can be passed in direct contact one with the other, or the mediums can be separated by a heat transfer surface. Conventional heat exchangers, particularly for aerospace applications, include plate/fin designs, or tube/shell designs.
Plate/fin heat exchangers employ sandwiched passages that contain fins. The fins provide increased surface area which leads to greater heat exchange. Plate/fin heat exchangers include both cross-flow and counter-flow designs and are provides with various fin arrangements depending on desired heat exchange characteristics. Tube/shell heat exchangers are generally incorporated into high pressure applications and include a shell, such as a pressure vessel, within which are positioned a number of tubes. One medium passes through the tubes and another medium passes through the shell and over the tubes. The tubes are typically formed from a material that facilitates a desired heat transfer. Of course, numerous other heat exchanger arrangements also exist.